Texas Medical Center

Becoming a Patient

Please read below for more information about the process to have your child seen at our clinic.

Physician referral

In order to begin the process, you first need to speak with your child’s pediatrician to discuss your concerns. If your child is between the ages of 0 and 15 years old, ask the pediatrician for a referral to the Autism Center at Texas Children’s Hospital for further evaluation.

Please note that the Autism Center now requires a physician’s referral.

Referral process

The next step is to complete the required new patient referral paperwork. You can start by visiting the Behavioral and Developmental Sciences Referral Center website to download the form, or you can call 832-822-1900. Please follow the instructions carefully, complete all of the documents that are sent to you, and return them to the Referral Center in a timely manner.

Required documents

Please also include copies of the following documents when you send in the paperwork to the Referral Center:

Divorce Decree if the biological parents of the child are legally divorced.

Guardianship paperwork or Temporary Orders of Custody if the person seeking the evaluation and/or completing the paperwork is not the biological parent of the child.

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Evaluation, school district evaluation(s), the most recent IEP, and any private evaluation(s) performed by another provider in the community, such as a psychiatrist, neurologist, developmental pediatrician, or psychologist.

We understand that this is a lot of information for you to send to us. Please know that this information assists us in effectively serving your child. Providing this information will help the rest of the process to go smoothly.

Review

Once we receive all of the above information, it will be reviewed by the clinical staff at the Autism Center. At that time it will be determined if your child will be placed on our list for an evaluation or if we need additional information. You will be informed of this decision either way.

Access services

Because of the high demand for Autism evaluations, there may be a waiting period before your child is seen for an evaluation at the Autism Center. We understand that waiting for an evaluation can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are services that may be available to your child and your family while you wait. Please visit the Resources for Parents page for further information, and call us if you have any questions.